(Frederic Le Floc'h DPPI for Renault Sport F1)
The Caterham F1 Team administrator Finbarr O'Connell has confirmed that despite the fact 230 staff were made redundant the Leafield based outfit still intends to travel to next weekend's season final at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Speaking to the Reuters news agency Finbarr O'Connell stated:
'We are going to Abu Dhabi, racing and talking to potential buyers with meetings already arranged out there.'
The Leafield based outfit missed the last two Grand Prix in the United States and Brazil with staff being owed wages from September. Mr O'Connell has also confirmed that the money raised through the crowd funding will be used to get the team to Abu Dhabi.
The team appear provisionally on the 2015 Formula One entry list and as a result of racing in Abu Dhabi they will be able to keep their chances of racing next season alive provided that the administrators can find a suitable buyer for the team who will be able to pay the staff the money that they are owed and save the team foam closure.
A lot has been made of former team owner Tony Fernandes with the blame being laid at his door for the current situation facing the team however. Fernandes has always stated that he paid all the teams bills on time and he sold the team due to the fact that he could not compete with the big teams.
However the Malaysian businessman has stated that he can compete in his other business interests such as at QPR and his main business AirAsia.
Despite selling the team to Engavest Fernandes retained ownership of the factory and the site along with the Caterham name with Fernandes stated that he not been paid for anything in relation to the team so he should not be blamed for the situation that the team is currently in.
Fernandes sold the team in July to Engavest while the team workforce have not been paid since September, two months after Fernandes sold the team.
© Ben Johnston 2014
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